Award for Outstanding Service ... Committee

Award for Outstanding Service to Minority Business Communities Committee

Establishment
Established in 1999.

Purpose
To recognize innovative business reference services provided to a minority business community. Award may be given to an individual business librarian or to the library.

Term of Office
Members shall serve for two years, and the term is not renewable. Terms will be staggered. The committee can function as a virtual committee.

Composition
There shall be three to five members appointed by the Vice-Chair/Chair-Elect of BRASS. Members should have a strong knowledge of the accomplishments of librarians in the business reference sector. In addition, members should represent reasonable diversity in both geography and current professional employment.

Specific Duties

Prepare press release for ALA to solicit applications for the award.

Review nominations and make the award based on the following criteria:

The recipient must be a business librarian or a library that has created an innovative service for a minority business community, or be recognized by that community as an outstanding service provider. Minority Business is defined as Hispanics, African Americans, Asians, Native Americans, or People from the Indian Subcontinent, as classified by the U.S. Government for minority owned businesses.

The award will be based on the library or librarian's impact on the community.

The award recipient must be present at the ALA Conference to receive the award at the primary award ceremony.

The award recipient does not have to be a member of ALA, RUSA, or BRASS.

In the event that a suitable recipient is not identified, the award will not be presented that year.

The Chair will be responsible for organizing the documentation and compiling a list of award candidates.

The committee will virtually discuss and evaluate candidates prior to Midwinter. The recipient will be chosen based on the award's criteria by consensus of committee members.

All committee discussions will be closed for members only.

Nomination of Candidates
Submit a nomination form (on the RUSA Awards website) to the Chair of committee, along with a letter of nomination stating in detail the contributions of the individual or library. Nominations should explain the services provided or projects completed, outline the impact on the business community served, and include any materials that identify the scope of the service or project (email attachments, fax, mail, package delivery - all are acceptable). Submissions are due to the Chair by December 15 or the due date of other RUSA awards that year.

Presentation of the Award
The formal announcement and presentation of the award shall be made at each ALA Annual Conference.

Form and/or Type of Award

Cash award of $2,000. Up to $1,000 of the $2,000 award may be used to cover cost for one representative to attend and receive the award at ALA Annual Conference.

Cost of administering the award will be approximately $400.

The recipient of the award will be formally invited by the Chair of BRASS to attend BRASS Executive Committee meetings and other BRASS activities.